There is one cash only station with prices less than a Shell and Exxon station on the way home from work. There is another Exxon station a few blocks south of these two stqtions that does have a cash discount, but they still charge a little more than the cheaper two stations.
I was in BJ’s club for awhile but eventually realized it wasn’t worth it to wait 20 or more minutes to save 3 - 4 cents a gallon. I don’t know if Costco is a bigger discount, but its out of my way as well. Sam’s Club isn’t really any cheaper than Walmart, and you have to buy 4x as much product.
I’d probably be dead in 2 years if I joined back up with one of those warehouse clubs. All those delicious muffins, donuts, cookies, cupcakes, etc but you’ve gotta buy like 4 dozen of them. 
:lol: 
:grimace: 
You’ve gotta be careful with those cash only gas stations. There’s usually either a panhandler lurking nearby, or the more sophisticated version, -on my way to a job interview, visit sick relative in the hospital, etc. left my wallet at home and ran out of gas- because they KNOW you have cash on you when you start pumping the gas.
@“Ed Frugal”
“cash only gas station” . . . I don’t know where you live, but in my neck of the woods, all the gas stations take cash, debit, and credit
But I agree that there are panhandlers and worse lurking nearby
A few months ago, a streetwalker was conducting business INSIDE the mini-store/cashier booth with one of the customers. They were finalizing details as to when to meet up for their “appointment” . . . I don’t even want to know WHY the owner and/or manager of the gas station would even tolerate that kind of stuff going on. After seeing that, I seriously considered not ever returning to get fuel
But I did go back, and thankfully, I didn’t see that kind of despicable behaviour again
That is why I have some really old equipment My snowblower is a 1972 8ho Airens and I would not trade it for a brand new one. It has homemade skid plates I made out of 1/4 inch mild steel plate and have almost worn through them. I added an electric start from a rusted out 6hp that someone was throwing out and other than an occasional shear pin it has just been gas,oil , and grease it needs nothing but a new plug every 5 years or so and a carb cleaning every 10. I made some tall drift bars for it and I can walk through 4 foot+ drifts in my back yard to make paths for my dog with ease.
I was at a garage sale and someone was trying to sell a three year old Craftsman blower they had paid $900 for that needed a carb and Sears could not supply one because this one was made in Italy and Sears only sold them for a short time.
I think a car in the middle ground between the Mirage and the Fit like the Hyundai Accent might serve you better.
I still think Ed would be very happy with the Honda Fit, in the long run
Sure, the Fit is more expensive, but it seems to be an all-around better and more substantial car
If he’s going to drive it for at least 10 years . . . and I figure he’ll probably drive it for 20 years . . . you better get something you actually like
That’s my viewpoint FWIW
For me, if I am not shopping at Costco, it adds 2 miles to my commute and saves me $3 per week. So I only use them if I am going there and if the line is short and I am also close to 1/4 or less on my tank. That happens maybe twice a year.
But I like to fill up my air at Costco. You can preset the pump, I fill to 4 PSI over (the tires are hot) and then take some out the next morning if needed (usually it is not needed to take off anyway).
That is interesting about the Ford Festiva not having a fill or drain plug on the manual transmission. I researched it and plan to get under my own car when the weather is nicer to confirm but the Mirage is meant to have the fluid changed and this is specified in the manual. The Geo Metro also is meant to be worked on. People may treat these as a disposable car but they are not meant to be that. Changing the manual transmission fluid or the entire transmission isn’t a big deal.
I think anyone coming from a Metro or Festiva would see the Mirage is an upgrade. Sure, there are other cars such as the Accent or Rio but this is by no means a bad option.
As for the gas and credit cards, etc. most of the places I go don’t offer a cash discount. Those that do are not ones I typically go to all that often. Also, I get a 5% cashback on gas with my Discover card. There is a breakover point but usually gas is expensive enough that I am better off to use my card with the cash back. Then you can either take that cash back as cash or you can get a partner gift card of an even greater value which is what I always do. It is usually a no brainer to use a credit card for me. Yes, I have had scum hanging out around an ATM panhandling before. These people are bottom feeders and need to get a job.
As for credit card fees, I charge extra when customers use their cards as I quote them a cash or check price but this can get eaten into by the cards. You call it a “convenience fee”. It isn’t a “credit card” free as the cards don’t like that.
@cwatkin " I think anyone coming from a Metro or Festiva would see the Mirage is an upgrade." Absolutely. For me, just having a working air conditioner would be a tremendous upgrade. (Festiva never had it) Outside of the first 3 or 4 years I had the Jeep, I’ve never owned a car with a working air conditioning. In about 6 - 8 weeks, this is going to be a BIG DEAL.
You’ll like this story: Driving to have Easter dinner with family this afternoon in my Festiva. At red light noticed I was right next to one of these new Mirages, a purple one - young lady behind the wheel. When light turned green, she took off, I couldn’t even keep up with her on acceleration in my Festiva. Tried, couldn’t do it.
I was going to say, despite the crash test ratings, I am sure the Mirage is safer by a country mile than an old Festiva or Metro.
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Airbags: I want all the airbags you got.
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Anti-Lock Brakes: Mixed feelings. I suppose they’re better, but I think they increase stopping distances. With my old car, I can feel when the brakes are locking up and back it off just a hair, but most people probably don’t pay enough attention to driving to be able to do that
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ESC - Electronic Stability Control. I know these are mandatory these days. Everybody, including CR and Tom & Ray before they retired, is just so ga-ga over ESC. I have my own secret driving technique I call “driving at a speed appropriate for conditions” that I believe works better than ESC.
I don’t like power steering and brakes. Yeah, I know, you can’t get ANY car without these nowadays. But the non-power steering and brakes were so much better. You know IMMEDIATELY if you lose traction / start sliding on ice / hydroplaning. . . with power steering its not so immediately obvious.
". . . about the Ford Festiva not having a fill or drain plug on the manual transmission. . . " Yeah, in the owners manual it just states briefly the fluid shouldn’t deplete or break down under normal operation. Then it describes how to check the fluid level. You pull the speedometer cable shaft out of the transmission, its gunmetal gray with a plastic orange gear at the end of it. There’s a tiny notch in the shaft. You’re supposed to wipe it off, re-insert, take it out again and look at the fluid line on the notch, except the fluid looks clear and the shaft looks shiny and wet, its damn near impossible to discern anything, I just look in the hole to see how high the fluid looks. Then it takes me about an hour to contort myself to get it all back together and my arm is all scratched up and greasy at the end of it. Colossal P.I.T.A. plus my back hurts.
I see quite a few of these here in Southern CA. Today though, I saw one with four decent sized adults sitting in it, going up the 5 FWY where there is a decent incline and actually the car was doing okay climbing it.
My only reservation with this type of cars is the size and that is a relative issue. Quite a few large cars around you and most of them driving erratically.
These things ARE selling. The dealer near me that had 19 is now down to 7. The one down the road that had over 30 is now down to 21. Called them, NONE of them are manual, but again, they can “get one” so they say. . .
Think I figured out why the first salesman was so nonchalant; he’s confident I won’t be able to beat his deal. I THINK (of course you can never be sure) I found the dealer he’s going to “get” the car he offered me from, a dealer in a town about 80 miles away has that exact same model/color listed. They have about 5 manuals, including a green one, but all listed a few hundred dollars higher than the deal offered me (plus the $300 BS fee, of course)
What follows is a rant about manual transmissions, read on at your own discretion:
I think this is my last shot at a manual transmission car. They’re already so hard to find, I bet they phase out over the next design cycle, except for sports cars like the Mustang, Corvette, Porsche, and perhaps off-road vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler.
I CAN get a Mirage NOW with a manual transmission, supposing the dealer doesn’t tell me its been sold if/when I call him back. If I hold out for a manual Fit, I may or may not be successful. The lady I spoke to on the phone at Honda of America Corporate said they are building them and shipping them to my area, 'course she could have just said that to get me off the phone, too. . . 'Course the dealer is going to discourage me from holding out 'cause they want to make a sale NOW, not 3 or 6 months from now or “whenever”. . .
Charitably, I might be referred to as a freethinker, or stubborn, or a hardhead. Uncharitably, I have an anti-social streak a mile wide. I think most people are sheeple, gullible and pliable. Given the fact that the automatic is rated about 4 mpg higher than the manual, I MIGHT be talked into getting one BUT for the fact that everyone (friends, family, co-workers, car salesfolks) makes that face when I say I want a manual, as if I asked for chocolate covered bugs as a pizza topping. Since nobody seems to understand why I want one, that makes me want it even more. Obviously I’m excepting the folks on this forum, who seem to understand the advantages of a manual transmission.
I can think of two big drawbacks:
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During those rare occasions when someone else drives my car, like a mechanic, the clutch could get abused. I know Tom & Ray said a clutch can be ruined in a single afternoon.
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If I do need any clutch related parts in the future they could be hard to come by, even for the Honda Fit. If only 1 in 1000 cars was built with the manual, replacement parts could be difficult to find in 10 - 15 years.
If the Honda dealer KNOWS I only want a Manual Fit, in Blue, LX trim, and ONE becomes available, he could decide to be a REAL HARDAXX and refuse to negotiate on price. Fortunately I live in a major metropolitan area and there are 4 Honda dealers in a reasonable distance, although I would prefer to buy from the one within walking distance from my house, in case I decide to use the dealer for maintenance. . .
If no manual Fits become available, or the dealer hardballs me on the price, I could find myself in November with no car, and it’ll be far too late to get the deal on the Mirage.
I was hoping nobody would want the manual Mirage, and I could hold out and get a super-deal, but there’s probably another eccentric floating around out there who will scoop it up if I don’t. I strongly sense that time is running out on this deal.
I can get the Mirage for about $7,000 less than the Fit, and there’s about 7 things I like better about the Fit, so it comes to $1,000 for each compromise. Of course, if there aren’t going to be any more manual Fits, none of that matters and if I want one I need to jump on that Mirage. Unfortunately, there’s no way for me to know for sure until its far too late for me to buy the other vehicle. 
I need a cookie. Make it a dozen.
Postscript: with due respect to all those who suggest the Rio, Accent, Fiesta, Versa, Spark, Yaris, etc. I already did my research over a year ago, almost bought a Fit in late 2014 but for the fact my Mom went into hospice care, under that mental stress I backed out at the last minute. I have stated openly the main reason for me considering the Mirage was @cwatkin 's pointing out to us how big a bargain this car is right now.
ALSO, I suspect the gas mileage on the Mirage would outstrip the Fit by a significant margin. If the Mirage really gets 40+ to high 40’s mpgs, and I suspect the most I could expect from the Fit is low to mid 30’s with the manual transmission. Of course its a heaver and much more powerful car (130 rated horsepower versus 74 rated horsepower) Next time the middle east explodes and gas shoots up over $4.00 a gallon, every mpg is going to count. @cwatkin , you’ll have pizza delivery guys hailing you at stoplights and asking you if you want to sell them your car. I had them offering me money for my old jalopy Festiva when gas was around $4 a gallon. . .
Gas mileage depends heavily on the kind of driving. At highway speeds aerodynamics is more important than weight and larger cars are usually longer, good for aerodynamics. That’s why you can find highway ratings near forty mpg for some roomy cars, and often no better for the smaller, lighter ones. The smaller car is more efficient in city driving.
I really like the Fit, too… The earlier ones had a goofy dashboard that felt cheap, but the new one is much proved. It’s easily the best of the cheap and cheerful class, though I also find the Accent/Rio quite decent, and even the simple Mazda2 (are they still selling it?). The Mirage reminds me too much of the Versa as they both appear to have been designed for sale in developing countries. The interiors remind me of GM interiors of 20 years ago, a sea of badly fitted hard gray plastic. The Mazda2 is just as simple, but it is less obvious about it.
That's why you can find highway ratings near forty mpg for some roomy cars
30-33mpg yes…But 40??? Show me that car.
I think some of the family sedans, especially the hybrids, get pretty close to 40MPG on the highway. The Kia Rio seems quite a bit larger than the Mirage but is still classified as a subcompact and gets about 40MPG with the 6 speed manual. That is kinda nice as that is the base model that comes with a 6 speed.
The Kia Rio was tempting for me although I do think I like the Mirage better. PArt of this was because of the Kia place trying to play mind games. I know it has more power but it really didn’t feel it. The worst part was after when my GF had been to look at the Rio and they were not giving out exact numbers, we left and that is when she bought the Mirage. I came home that night to have a base Kia Rio being offered from this dealer via a flyer in my mailbox. It said “From $12,700” which I didn’t think was a bad price. I didn’t bother to call since the car had been purchased but they called me in a few days and let them know a couple things. 1. Another car had been bought and 2. They should have sold us the base model for the price shown in the flyer and not made a big deal about wanting to haggle and waste our time. The response of the guy was “The price is just for the most basic one with the manual transmission.” My response was “Well, that is what we told you we wanted from the first time we walked in.” I basically let him know that the mind games resulted in a lost sale and very quickly.
The Mazda 2 is no more but has been rebranded as a Toyota/Scion product. I like Mazda and considered this but the gas mileage wasn’t anything special for a car of that size. The larger Mazda 3 gets the same mileage.
The Fit and Yaris seem to be the one the “experts” always suggest although none ever seem to like small cars like this too well. Also, if the Fit is being made in this country currently, you can always special order cars through the dealer. Sure, you have to wait a couple months or longer but this might be the best thing for you. This isn’t possible with the 2015 Mirage that is currently such a good deal as it is no longer being made. You have to pick from the ever-shrinking pool of what is left and on clearance.
If you want to wait for the 2017 model, it won’t be on any special sale but will have a few improvements. I was planning to do this until this sale was announced. I would also suggest calling and getting a car special ordered if you like the Fit better. You pay some money upfront for this but you get it EXACTLY the way you want down to the color.
The Mirage isn’t a power house but I have no issues merging or maintaining speeds, including on some of the large uphill grades around here. I also felt that the CVT was decent although I am still a holdout on the manual like Ed here. The fluid is also meant to be changed but from what I understand, there are not really any provisions for rebuilding these. They are just replaced.
My biggest concern is the other drivers as well. There are simply so many idiots on the road these days and it seems to be getting worse by the week. I do have dash cameras now because of this. Either way, you can bet that this car is loads safer than any older economy car from the past without airbags, etc.
Was this a bargain model or not on the LG that broke out of warranty?
One of their highest end products bought from an electronics specialty store, not a big box store. Paid serious bucks for it. I replaced it with a Hisense at 1/3 the cost from Walmart. I figured I could buy a couple of those and still be ahead if it lasted. It’s been fantastic so far for ~2 years (knock on wood) and the picture rivals much more expensive models…
@“Ed Frugal”
A few things . . .
On this website, I’ve ALWAYS said the Yaris is not that great of a car, relative to other Toyotas. In fact, it’s not even good bang for the buck. For the price of a Yaris, there are roomier and better equipped choices out there
I don’t know exactly what “experts” have been pushing you to buy a Yaris . . . not me
As for that stick shift Mirage . . . if you think that dealer 80 miles from your house has a few, I highly suggest you just drive over there. Don’t bother to call, because they’ll just talk BS or play mind games with you over the phone
Show up, with your checkbook on hand, and at a time when the banks are still open. Tell the first saleman you see that you want to test drive a stick shift Mirage, and you’re ready to do business that day, as long as they don’t play games with you
Make him understand he’s got a “live one” on his hands, and if he doesn’t get the sale, then he has only himself to blame
That is assuming that a rock-bottom price on the stick shift Mirage is more important to you, versus long-term happiness in the more expensive Honda Fit
Personally, I would get the Fit, because I’ll be driving the car several years, and I might as well have a car that is somewhat comfortable. I’d hate to drive a car for several years and think “I wish I had sprung for a more expensive car with a better ride, more comfortable seats, etc.”
@cwatkin quote , ". . . you can always special order cars through the dealer… . . I would also suggest calling and getting a car special ordered if you like the Fit better. . . " From what I understand this isn’t exactly possible. I seem to recall reading the Asian carmakers don’t operate like the “big 3” in this manner. What the so-called sales manager at the Honda dealership told me was quite similar. He said he places his vehicle order every Tuesday and requests the vehicles he wants, but “corporate” allocates what he can actually get. I don’t know if I’m explaining this correctly and briefly, or even if this so-called sales manager was just blowing smoke up my hind end. As we say here, don’t believe anything a car salesperson tells you.
Ah, I just don’t know. . . . Well, I’ve got two functional jalopies right now, so I’m not hard pressed to make a decision just yet. . . .
NOW I’m worried that if I DO hold out for the manual trans Fit, and one comes along, he’s going to try to hardball me on the price because he knows I want it. I will not be played. I’ll continue patching up my old car before I’ll give 'em the satisfaction. . . . It would be so much better if a few of them come along, scattered among different dealers, that would be ideal.
If you order a Fit with a manual transmission, negotiate the price ahead of time. You will have to put money down to seal the deal. The dealer needs protection if for some reason you can’t follow through on the deal. If you try to negotiate too small a deposit, they may want you to pay MSRP to reduce their risk. Manual transmissions don’t sell well, and you need to convince them that you will finish the deal when the car arrives. If you can’t do that, they won’t order it. The plus for them is that the car spends almost no time on the lot if you follow through on the purchase. If you really want one, the current generation is built in Central Mexico. Special orders should be easier than outside North America because the assembly plant is closer. Go talk to a salesman and see what he can do for you.
“30-33mpg yes…But 40??? Show me that car.”
These come close. No hybrids, no diesels.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=35982&id=37142&id=36479&id=36822
I special ordered a Chevy S-10 4.3L with a manual transmission back in 2000 and still own it. Anyway, this isn’t impossible with the big 3 but maybe not with a Honda? I don’t know how they work.
Yes, let the dealers know that BS walks and that you will walk if they play the mind games. They should know that they have a live one on their hands and not a time waster.
I would think that manual transmissions would continue to be an option in cheap economy cars for a while but maybe not. I am pretty surprised that some of the high end sports cars are doing away with them. It was always the very cheap or the very expensive for a while. Now it is just the cheap ones. I suspect there will be a few good manual options for a while bit if you just want a small simple car, the Mirage may be the one you want.
Remember that Ed is upgrading from a Festiva so this is an upgrade much like it is from the Geo. The fact that these cheap old cars can keep running after all this time says something about them though. The thing I like about the Geo is that it is meant to be worked on. There are fill plugs and drain plugs. None of the nonsense you describe with the Festiva about sucking the fluid out of the trans. I would bet there is still sludge and metal filings in the bottom of that case! The Geo has a magnetic drain plug.
One of my mechanic friends said that the Geo has better mechanicals but the body essentially dissolves in water, especially where salt is used. I guess the Festiva has better rust protection but the mechanicals aren’t quite as good. The lack of a drain plug would support this.
I have seen reference on the forum to people changing out the factory manual transmission fluid with a synthetic Redline MTL fluid after the initial break in. I guess the shifts are smoother with this one, especially in cold weather. I think I will go this route after about 3000 miles.